What I Learned

In 1982, while working with Crown Publishing Group in New York City, Susan Eilertsen led a national media campaign to promote Entertaining, a new book by a Connecticut caterer named Martha Stewart. Today, she heads Susan Eilertsen Consulting, a public relations and marketing firm in Golden Valley.

“The most important thing I learned from Martha Stewart is that, if I’m going to help make someone famous, I should ask for a piece of the action. Martha Stewart was brilliant and ahead of her time. She had great instincts and very high, very precise expectations. She was always very professional, thoughtful, and gracious with me.

“With Martha, we figured out a way to package not just a book or a person but a trend. We weren’t merely selling a beautiful cookbook, we were introducing a new lifestyle, a way of life America yearned for. It was a dream book, and we had to make it a trend.

“I learned for the first time the importance of working with a team. I had a great publishing house that knew they had something and were willing to invest in marketing and public relations for it. It doesn’t matter how good the product is if no one knows about it and it doesn’t sell.

“She taught me how to make a comeback. Martha Stewart made mistakes and served her time. She started with a book, and look at where she is now. Is there any brand extension Martha Stewart hasn’t thought of? She also taught me that drive is what it’s all about. I once asked her, ‘How do you do it all?’ She said, ‘Well, I don’t sleep much.’ Nothing will stop Martha Stewart from succeeding.”